I want to see Linux and macOS chip away at Windows as much as the next guy but calling a rise to 2% a “surge” seems laughable
I don’t think it’s necessarily about beating Windows. What is significant is that Linux use is slowly growing to a point where it shouldn’t be ignored. Those of us firmly in the Linux camp benefit from that and it makes it easier for newcomers to kick the tires.
Frankly, I don’t care whether people use Windows or not. Not my business, not my problem. Use what works. I’m just happy my own shit works, whether it’s 2% or 80% market share. Linux gaming has been a breeze lately - easier than I remember Windows being - and it’s awesome. We are in a really good place and I hope it keeps getting better.
2% is more than double the usual share prior to the steam decks release.
it is when you are consistently below 1%
thats like almost twice as much and millions of users in absolute numbers
It’s honestly more laughable when the entire “surge” increase comes from steam decks. Everyone knows Linux thrives in a locked-down environment that is created specifically for the hardware it’s shipped with. It’s why Android works so well. Linux PC Desktop is where things still need to be proven to work with any configuration, with all the applications, and user needs.
Which is why it’s so awesome that most of Steam Deck is actually fairly open, or at least as open as running steam on desktop Linux anyway.
The Steam Deck is a locked down environment?
Yes, it’s encapsulated. You have to explicitly go into desktop mode to even install stuff. When you do install stuff from the repos it goes away next update to ensure a sane environment. You have to install stuff from flatpack to keep it. There are ways around it but there are also ways to root your Android phone. It’s about equal in usage.
More Linux than MacOS users, that’s pretty cool.
Some of that may as well be considered active sabotage on Apple’s part.
Yeah, their gaming strategy is laughably hilarious: forcing a new graphics API on developers, going through the trouble of copying Proton into their Game Porting Toolkit, but then not allowing devs to actually ship games with it, etc.
